In the United States alone, each year, roughly 564,800 Americans are expected to die of cancer, which equates to more than 1,500 people a day. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., right behind heart disease, and it has been found that one of every four deaths in the United States is from cancer. Furthermore, according to the National Cancer Institute, “Approximately 38.5 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer of any site at some point during their lifetime”, which is based on 2012-2014 data. These statistics may be shocking to some and appalling to many because too many people are losing their lives to cancer.

However, a life-saving and extraordinary natural medicine has the potential to significantly improve a person’s life in more ways than they could have ever imagined. Cannabis—a miraculous plant that has been used for thousands of years contains a surplus of medicinal benefits and properties that provide suffering individuals with an overwhelming amount of relief and an improved quality of life.

In addition, cannabis or marijuana (as the government likes to refer to it as) remains federally illegal on a national level, however, as time goes on, more and more U.S. states are implementing their own medical cannabis programs, which allows for individuals suffering from various medical conditions and diseases like cancer and many others to treat themselves with a natural form of medicine—cannabis.

By the 2016 year mark, half of America’s fifty states moved towards the legalization of medical cannabis, and a few additional states since then have approved medical cannabis programs, but have not put them into action yet. The current U.S. states that have medical cannabis programs in place include the following: Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., New York, Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Delaware, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, Florida, and Georgia (which allows for the use of only low THC oil at less than five percent THC by weight).

Furthermore, the following states have approved medical cannabis programs recently, but have not put them into action yet: Montana, North Dakota, Louisiana, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, and Florida.

Regarding qualifying medical conditions, diseases, and other debilitating illnesses that people suffer from, all states with medical cannabis programs in place approve patients for a medical cannabis card if they have cancer. Whereas, most states approve patients for medical cannabis cards with any of the following qualifying medical conditions and/or diseases: glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s Disease, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), severe or persistent muscle spasms including those under the category of Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy and seizure disorders, a chronic, debilitating disease(s) and/or medical condition(s) that produce one or more of the following: Cachexia (Wasting Syndrome), severe nausea/vomiting, seizures including those characteristic of epilepsy, and severe muscle spasms (including Multiple Sclerosis and other diseases causing severe and persistent muscle spasms).

Furthermore, in order to qualify for a medical cannabis card, patients must have a debilitating condition and/or disease that is on their state’s list of qualifying medical conditions, however, these individual lists vary from state to state. Over the course of the past few years, more states are putting medical cannabis programs in place in addition to adding more medical conditions and/or diseases onto the list(s), so that suffering patients can have access to this natural form of medicine.

Moreover, although each state has their own list of qualifying conditions, diseases, and/or illnesses, the medical issues below are not approved under all state medical cannabis programs, but they are approved under many state medical cannabis programs:

There are many other medical conditions and diseases that qualify under certain state cannabis programs, however, the most common ones that qualify under most medical cannabis programs are listed above.

For more information on which specific qualifying medical conditions/diseases/illnesses your state’s medical cannabis program approves of, check out the links below:

As of 2017, half of the U.S. states have implemented medical cannabis programs and laws so that people can choose which form of treatment and medicine they would like to use rather than being forced to take pharmaceutical drugs and prescriptions that oftentimes make them feel worse. Cannabis has the ability to save lives and significantly improve a person’s well-being on a physical, mental, and emotional level.

Countless doctors, scientists, and researchers around the world support the use of cannabis as a form of treatment for many different debilitating medical conditions and diseases. An ending quote comes from Lester Grinspoon, a MD and professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, “Cannabis is remarkably safe. Although not harmless, it is surely less toxic than most of the conventional medicines it could replace if it were legally available. Despite its use by millions of people over thousands of years, cannabis has never caused an overdose death.”

As stated in my previous post “Yoga Poses to Cure Your Headaches & Migraines”, I will include information about each pose including a description of it/why it works, directions of how to get into this pose, helpful tips, and an image of myself doing the specific pose below, so you have a visual aid to help you in this process.

A First Cousin of Setu Bandhasana or “Out On the Table or Chair Pose”

How this pose works: Through the stretching of the body’s ventral muscles, the facial and cranial musculature is prompted to relax

Helpful Hints: Arching the lower thoracic region and upper lumbar spine can be uncomfortable and/or painful; keep these regions as close to the table or chair as much as possible to avoid discomfort

Contraindications: If you suffer from any of these issues, it is inadvisable to attempt this pose. Or, you can attempt it at your pace and at your own level as long as your body allows it without feeling pain and/or discomfort: Cerebral, ceratoid or vertebral arterial aneurysm, cervical stenosis, grade II or higher cervical antero-or retrolisthesis

Directions to get into this pose:

-Use a firm couch, sturdy table, or chair coveted with a thick blanket at one end so your spine is protected

-Place a chair beyond the edge of whichever furniture piece you choose to use and make sure the chair is facing the table or other chair you are using

-Lie on your back, lift your head and upper shoulders off the edge of the couch, table, or chair (whichever you chose to use)

-Find a helper friend and ask them to help you sit in the other (main chair), and hold your head up; then, the helper should slowly lower your head while gently stretching from your shoulders

-When your neck is extended to 45 degrees, wait a minute and a half while doing deep inhales and exhales

-Raise and extend your arms over your head so that your hands are palms up and on either side of the helper’s arms

-After 30 seconds in this position, bend your knees and push yourself a little bit further off the table or chair; slowly inch forward and breathe throughout each movement

-Continue moving in one-inch increments every 30 seconds or until the lower third of your shoulder blades reach the edge of the table or chair of your choosing

-By this point, your arms and head should be inclining further downward with your palms facing up

-Stay in this position for another minute or two so that your body sinks lower and the abdomen, chest, and throat muscles get stretched out

-When you’ve had enough, ask your helper to slowly lift your head and arms back up into an arched supine position; rest here for a minute or two before fully sitting up

Image of myself in this pose:

Setu Bandhasana or “Bridge Pose”

How this pose works: Through this pose, you are contracting the middle and lower back while stretching out the ventral musculature in addition to consistent breathing, which is supposed to restore the cerebral circulation and relax the scalp muscles

Helpful Hints: The further down you pull your shoulders away from your head and toward your hips will be to your benefit; this posture will be most effective by following this tip

Contraindications: If you suffer from any of these issues, it is inadvisable to attempt this pose. Or, you can attempt it at your pace and at your own level as long as your body allows it without feeling pain and/or discomfort: Carotid dissection or other carotid arterial or jugular venous pathology or cervical disc herniation

Directions to get into this pose:

-Lie flat on your mat with your back slightly arched, arms at your sides, and a second mat underneath your shoulders for extra comfort (optional)

-Bend your knees, push your feet away from you as you inhale, and slowly raise your torso off your mat

-In other words, straighten out your knees a little without sliding your feet away from you; this specific action helps raise your chest forward and towards a position over your throat

-Place your hands under the back of your waist while keeping your fingers pointing toward each other

-Once you establish stability in this position, press your feet away from you but don’t let your feet move

-Use this force to your advantage by raising your torso higher and lifting your chest vertically up over your chin (Keep breathing through each movement!)

-Breathe slowly and consistently; fill the bottom of your lungs with air first, then the middle, and then stretch out your whole body while continuing to inhale and exhale

-Inflate the top of your lungs with air and spread it down through your shoulders and throat, if possible; Just try your best here!

-Keep breathing until you feel comfortable and once you feel uncomfortable, ease out of the position by reversing the steps you took to get into it

-Remain with your knees bent for a minute or two before fully extending your legs and sitting up; try a seated forward fold at the end before fully rounding up to standing

Image of myself in this pose:

Paschimottanasana or “Seated Forward Bend Pose”

How it works: By stretching the hamstrings out, you generate impulses from the golgi tendon organs, which tend to relax the extensor muscles of the entire body’s trunk, neck, and scalp; the effect normally sets in within 90 seconds of entering the pose

Helpful Hints: Rather than trying to get your head to your shins, think about getting your navel to descend between your thighs

–The term “Paschimottan” translates to “extreme bend of the west”, and many Yogis face east when they do asana, therefore, the attention of this pose is on the back of the body

Contradictions: If you suffer from any of these issues, it is inadvisable to attempt this pose. Or, you can attempt it at your pace and at your own level as long as your body allows it without feeling pain and/or discomfort: Severe osteoporosis, herniated lumbar intervertebral disc, late pregnancy, or severe impingement syndrome (shoulder-related)

Directions to get into this pose:

-Sit upright on your mat or a soft blanket and fully extend your knees while keeping your ankles together

-Elongate your torso vertically as you deeply inhale and slightly arch your back

-As you exhale, draw your entire torso forward while hinging at the hips and not the waist

-As you lean forward, turn your hands downward and outward while trying to grasp one wrist with the opposite hand beyond your feet, if your body allows it

-Rest your cheekbones on your shins with the intent to bring your head and shoulders forward rather than down

-Clasp either wrist tightly while relaxing your arms and shoulders

-Allow your elbows to pull your forward and down until your chin is on your legs just below your knees (Do your best here. Let your body take you where it can go)

-Keep breathing and once you’ve had enough, unclasp your hands and slowly rise up to the upright position you started in

-Image of myself in this pose:

Viparita Karani or “Inclined Plane Pose”

How it works: This slight inversion position distributes the body’s blood more to the upper body and less to the lower body, which changes gravity’s tug on the small and large blood vessels of the upper torso, neck, and head. In addition, by recalibrating the tension of tiny muscles of the arterioles often relieves tension as well as migraine headaches

Helpful Hints: Lying at too great of an angle can actually increase your pain, therefore, it is best to elevate your torso to 35 degrees and silently scan your body from head to toe looking for any sensations. Do this for the whole time you are in this pose and continue scanning from head to toe and then back up again while consistently breathing. Make sure you do not neglect the neck, throat, and face during the breathing and observation of your body during this pose

Contraindications: If you suffer from any of these issues, it is inadvisable to attempt this pose. Or, you can attempt it at your pace and at your own level as long as your body allows it without feeling pain and/or discomfort: Extreme hypertension, aneurysm, or cerebral clips

Directions to get into this pose:

-Lie on your back with your legs and torso on an inclining stack of either pillows, thick blankets, bolsters, or a slant board covered with soft towels or blankets

-The optimal angle to get your body at is 35 degrees

-If you cannot get into this pose and angle on your own, ask a friend or family member to assist you until you get to 35 degrees comfortably

-Your head should be horizontal and your neck should be relaxed

-Let your facial muscles and expression dissolve and relax

-You can stay in this position anywhere from 5-15 minutes, depending on your comfort level and pain level

Image of myself in this pose:

If you’d like more yoga pose tutorials like the ones in this post, please leave a comment below and let me know what you’d like to see more of!

We all have our own reasons for doing yoga whether it is to release any stress and/or tension from our waking life, to improve on our flexibility, strength, and balance, to work on our emotional well-being and to find inner balance with ourselves, or perhaps to get rid of any physical pain or discomfort. These are just a handful of reasons why many of us practice yoga, but of course there are other specific reasons based on each individual.

In regards to physical pain and discomfort, many yogis find relief in yoga, but they still deal with some sort of pain in their waking life off the mat. In particular, according to the book, Healing Yoga—Proven Postures to Treat Twenty Common Ailments by Loren Fishman, the author states the following, “More than 29.5 million Americans suffer from migraines, and women are three times more likely to have these types of headache than men” (Fishman, 120). In addition, oftentimes, migraines run in people’s families and can be hereditary (which is the case with me). Surprisingly, there are as many as 50 triggers for different types of headaches, and some of these triggers apply across the board. For example, female hormones, fatigue, sunlight, odors, and certain foods as well as substances like caffeine and nitrates in processed foods can cause a headache or migraine (Fishman, 119).

Furthermore, the National Headache Foundation conducted a survey in 2008 to identify different types of headaches, and their survey showed that tension-type headaches were the second most common after migraines. These specific headaches can occur occasionally or they can be chronic, especially for women; these headaches can also vary in intensity as well as frequency. The symptoms of these headaches vary, but the most common ones include a feeling of tightness, muscle stiffness, pressure, or diffuse pain. According to Healing Yoga—Proven Postures to Treat Twenty Common Ailments, most people feel a dull aching feeling either in their temples, forehead, back of the head, and/or neck on both sides. Also, sometimes, the pain can be related to anxiety or depression, which could affect people’s sleeping patterns. Additionally, stress, fatigue, depression, and/or other on-going physical programs can play a role in the onset of a headache or migraine (Fishman, 119).

As far as migraines go, some of the common symptoms are well known, and they consist of pain usually occurring on one side of the head and it feels as though it is throbbing or pulsing; some people even experience nausea and light-headedness, which is sometimes accompanied by vomiting. If the migraine is extremely painful and unbearable, oftentimes, people will go to their bedrooms to find relief since it is relatively quiet and dark. According to a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic in 2013, four out of ten patients (39%) said migraines drove them to bed frequently and for days at a time. It is known that bright lights and loud sounds can increase a person’s discomfort level, therefore, the bedroom is a wonderful place to go to avoid these visual disturbances. Visual disturbances are quite common when it comes to migraines, but even physical activity such as climbing stairs or working out can worsen the pain (Fishman, 120).

For migraine sufferers alone, as many as twenty percent also experience what is called an “aura”, which typically occurs before the headache hits, or the aura can serve as a warning. People may also experience visual disturbances such as flashing lights, dots, zigzagging lines, or blind spots in their vision. A simple way of explaining why these disturbances happen is the following,

When brain cells become agitated, they cause the trigeminal nerve to emit chemicals that inflame and swell blood vessels on the surface of the brain. The swollen vessels telegraph pain signals to the brain stem, which processes them and sends them out. The visual disturbances people experience are due to short-term changes in the activity of the nerve cells (Fishman, 120-121).

Migraine symptoms vary, but they are upsetting both physically as well as emotionally. Thankfully, there are certain yoga poses people can practice, which should provide yogis with relief from their headache or migraine pain. Some examples include the following poses: A First Cousin of Setu Bandhasana or the “Out on the table or chair pose”, Setu Bandhasana or the “Bridge Pose”, Paschimottanasana or the “Seated Forward Bend Pose”, and lastly, Viparita Karani or the “Inclined Plane Pose”. Each of these poses have the capability to significantly reduce or relieve headache or migraine pain, but it is your duty to put in the work.

For your convenience, I have included pictures of myself doing the poses in another post, which demonstrate the ones I listed above. I also listed some helpful hints as well as valid reasons of how these poses work. Of course, not everyone will have the same affect from these poses, however, they are options for you to try next time you feel a headache or migraine coming on or perhaps during the pain itself.

We all know what it feels like to be in pain, discomfort, and distress, but we also know how magical and effective yoga can be for the mind, body, and soul as long as we devote time and energy into the practice. Whenever you feel some type of head pain, consider implementing these poses into your practice while moving mindfully and gracefully with each breath, and letting all stress, tension, and pain wash away during each yoga class or at-home session.

For more yoga-related information, tips, and/or insights from a dedicated yogi herself, drop a comment down on this post, and let me know what you’d be interested in reading about!

On my next post, I will include information about each pose including a description of it/why it works, directions of how to get into this pose, helpful tips, and an image of myself doing the specific pose, so you have a visual aid to help you in this process.

In 2016, it was found that “36.7 million Americans or 15 percent of U.S. adults practice yoga, which is up from 20.4 million in 2012”, according to a report released by The Yoga Alliance, The Yoga Journal, and the Ipsos Public Affairs. In addition, in the same report, it stated that out of those 36.7 million individuals, thirty-four percent (80 million Americans) will likely practice yoga at some point in the next twelve months, which demonstrates the true concept of yoga being a life-long journey. Aside from these statistics, let me break down what yoga is and how it can significantly improve your life.

Yoga can be defined as a Hindu theistic philosophy that teaches the suppression of all activity of the body and mind for the inner self to realize its distinction from them while attaining liberation. However, yoga can also be defined as a system of exercises for attaining all-around well-being as well as bodily or mental control. The meaning of yoga is much deeper than its definition though, especially due to the wide array of benefits yoga provides people with including but not limited to a peace of mind, reduced anxiety, tension and pain, increased mindfulness, flexibility and balance, improved mood and coordination, as well as increased muscle tone and overall strength. Aside from these positive changes, yoga brings people many different emotional and spiritual benefits, which vary based on each individual.

Regarding the cultural and spiritual background of yoga, it was first introduced thousands of years ago in India, and its intention was to treat various medical conditions. The usefulness yoga possesses is something very special because it has not only survived into the present day, but it has also flourished in locations all over the world. What also makes this spiritual system of movements unique consists of the convenience and simplicity factors. Users do not need special shoes, clothes, or equipment to do yoga; all you need is a mat of some sort, your breath, your undivided attention, and water to stay hydrated.

People all over the world practice yoga whether it’s in their backyard, a park, the gym, a yoga studio, inside their apartment or house, in a car or train, or anywhere while traveling and exploring the great outdoors. By devoting your time and effort into yoga, you are investing in yourself and your overall well-being. At the end of the day, don’t you want to feel like you took care of your mind, body, and soul, even if it was only for ten minutes a day?

Oftentimes, we as humans get too wrapped up and/or consumed in our own thoughts, feelings, and overall stress, which manifests into our conscious and subconscious mind. By devoting time into the practice of yoga, you can surrender to the specific movements, you can focus on your breathing and the rhythm of it, and of course, you can surrender to yourself and feeling everything deeply and mindfully.

All in all, yoga provides all kinds of people with peace and contentment, which are two main aspects the rest of the world desperately needs. Not matter what your reason or intention is when you do yoga, the effort and willpower is there, and that alone shows your willingness to improve and develop within your practice even further.

In the same yoga study referenced above, the top three reasons people do yoga consist of the enjoyment of yoga itself, yoga’s impact on an individual’s health, and yoga as a stress reliever. If you desire to improve your overall well-being, relieve any stress, tension, and/or pain, or are itching to try a different form of spiritual exercise, yoga is definitely for you! Even if you don’t fall into any of those three categories though, don’t sweat it because everybody commits to yoga based off of their individualized intentions and reasons. Just remember that yoga can fit into any lifestyle while also delivering positive and life-changing benefits, so what are you waiting for? Make a change, invest in your mind, body, and soul, and enjoy the journey.

When you see the word cannabis, what first comes to mind? Perhaps you picture an image of the cannabis plant itself growing in the ground with lots of little buds flowering about. Or, perhaps you think of the widely used term weed and a few images and/or cliché statements come to mind. Or, maybe you haven’t even heard of the term cannabis before, which is completely understandable. The term cannabis is rarely used in many societies and countries around the world for several reasons, but recently, there have been major developments within the cannabis industry. Yes, there is such an industry, and it’s booming in more locations than you could even imagine. You may be thinking how much revenue could this supposed plant really make? Let’s just say the figures are well into the billions.

According to a report released by Arcview Market Research, North American cannabis sales grew by a staggering 30 percent in the past 2016 year to a whopping $6.7 billion as the legal market expands into states across the U.S. and the provinces of Canada. If this figure doesn’t impress you, then maybe the projected cannabis sales will catch your attention. According to the same report conducted by Arcview Market Research, North American cannabis sales are projected to top $20.2 billion by 2021, which assumes a compound annual growth rate of 25 percent. This specific report includes Canada, an up-and-coming country that will move towards recreationally legalizing adult use of cannabis by the Summer of next year (2018).

By the 2016 year mark, half of America’s fifty states moved towards the legalization of medical marijuana in order to provide an alternative medicine to patients with various debilitating diseases, disorders, and other medical issues. Cannabis provides a surplus of medical benefits in the physical, mental, and spiritual state of users, and it also significantly reduces chronic pain, tension, and/or varying degrees of discomfort caused by a variety of different ailments and diseases; however, cannabis has the capability to remove all distress and pain completely.

As a result of various states running medical marijuana programs, their revenue significantly grew, which led to many states going the extra step of approving recreational marijuana programs including Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Alaska, Massachusetts, and Maine. In the report released by Arcview Market Research, it stated that cannabis sales jumped 62 percent through September of 2016 as compared to 2015 sales, and when this kind of information about cannabis sales emerged, many investors became very interested in this booming market, and decided to get involved as soon as possible.

Although many U.S. states have and continue to move towards some degree of legalization, cannabis is still classified as a Schedule I substance on a federal level, which means it is placed within the same category as heroin and supposedly containing no medical benefits. However, this classification is quite backwards due to the fact that multiple studies have been conducted across the world, which describe the endless amount of medical properties cannabis contains along with research and data as support.

On another note, one progressive North American country that should not be forgotten about is Canada. Although Canada’s cannabis market is at a smaller scale than the U.S., the intentions the Canadian government have regarding cannabis is something very unique and attention-grabbing. Canada’s medical marijuana program has been in place since 2003, and their government is already moving towards recreational legalization, which is planned to come into effect next summer (2018). What really sets Canada and the U.S. apart in regards to the status of marijuana, there will be little to no conflict at a government level in Canada as compared to the cannabis situation in the U.S.

In simplest terms, the cannabis industry is growing at a much larger and faster rate than most investors, companies, and overall users could have predicted. However, with President Trump in office, the American public, especially medical marijuana users are unaware of what, if any changes will occur within the cannabis industry. Fortunately, more and more states are moving towards some degree of legalization, but cannabis continues to remain listed as a Schedule I substance. Perhaps Canada’s future recreational cannabis program will be a model to other countries, but only time will tell.

For a more detailed and informative blog post focused on the medicinal properties cannabis contains as well as additional updates and information regarding the cannabis industry, stay tuned!